Family Friendly Rights

At Banner Jones, our Employment Law Solicitors in Chesterfield, Sheffield and Mansfield provide expert advice on Family Friendly matters such as Maternity and Paternity Leave Entitlements.

There are many different types of family friendly rights in employment law including:

Maternity Leave

Paternity Leave

Shared Parental Leave

Adoption Leave

Parental Leave

Dependants Leave

Flexible Working

Part Time Working

The rules which apply to the various types of family friendly rights vary depending on the particular right. In recent years there has been a great expansion in the rights given to working families which means that this is an area of law which is constantly changing. Our Employment law solicitors ensure that they are fully updated on all developments in this area to ensure that they can offer the most up to date advice to you.

If you are an employee and feel you need advice on what your rights are and how you can ensure that these are enforced against your employer, we can assess your situation and provide you with sound advice and support to help you achieve the outcome that you want.

Talk to our
Family Friendly Rights team

Maternity Rights

At Banner Jones we often see women being discriminated as soon as they announce that they are pregnant. Our highly trained lawyers can advise on the basic maternity rights including:

The right not to be dismissed due to pregnancy or childbirth

The right to time off for ante-natal care

The right to alternative work or pay during suspension because of maternity

The right to maternity leave

The right to maternity pay

The right to return to work after maternity leave

On returning to work after maternity leave, we ensure that the process is as smooth as possible. We provide all clients with expert advice and support on flexible working hours should they require it and have otherwise been turned down by their employer.

Paternity Rights

Unfortunately, paternity rights is an area many employees are uneducated about. It is likely that an employer will be more tolerant towards maternity leave as opposed to paternity leave. At Banner Jones our solicitors are continually up to date with the latest on paternity rights and are able to support any fathers who may be experiencing paternity discrimination at work. We can advise on the basic paternity rights including:

Statutory paternity pay

Qualifying period of employment

Obligation to give advance notification to employer

Maternity and Paternity Solicitors

If you are experiencing maternity or paternity leave discrimination, our highly trained maternity and paternity solicitors in Chesterfield, Sheffield and Mansfield are on hand to help solve your issues and provide you with supportive advice. We understand the distress that many of our clients are facing and therefore we offer a sensitive approach to all our clients as well as a confidential service.

Frequently Asked Questions

You need to be able to justify if you are asking for certain levels of experience. Advertising for a bus driver who is safe and has had previous experience is one thing advertising for a bus driver with 10 years’ experience is another. The first option leaves your job advert open for all ages to apply. The second rules out individuals who may be in their early twenties.

Other points to consider when recruiting new employees:

Ensure whoever is interviewing potential employee’s scores interviewees on their skills and competencies as opposed to their age.

Although they are not discriminatory themselves consider removing any reference to age on your job application forms.

Once you have selected an appropriate employee ensure managers and staff are trained to monitor and avoid any discriminatory behaviour. Also make sure it is clear within any policies you have that discrimination in any form is unacceptable. Ensure managers are fully trained in diversity issues and that they are able to deal with discriminatory issues that arise within the workplace.

Yes you need to be aware of these requirements if you employ anyone of any age. They affect every area of employment as well as the recruitment and selection process. The requirements not only make it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of age but also harassment whether it be intentional or unintentional or to victimise an individual.

You need to worry not only about your own actions but also your fellow employees who must be discouraged from making offensive or unkind comments about age or anything in between.

As with other areas of discrimination if your employee can demonstrate that there has been a difference in treatment which is due to discrimination it is solely down to you the employer to show otherwise or for you to prove that you have done everything in your power to stop such discrimination. There are no limits to discrimination awards and often they include an aspect for suffering, failure to do so can be expensive.

When you are recruiting employees you need to ensure you are not discriminating for or against anyone due to their age. This means you cannot advertise specific age requirements in any of your job adverts unless you can justify them.

In 2011 legislation new legislation was introduced making it unlawful to treat anyone differently due to their age except if it could be justified or falls within one of the exemptions to the law. The retirement age of 65 has now been phased out meaning employers can now only forcibly retire workers if it can be justified.

The National Living Wage (NLW) comes into force in April this year which will give workers aged 25 and over a fifty pence increase to £7.20 per hour. It is thought that this increase stems from the fact that one in five workers in the UK are classed as 'low paid', which is high when compared to other advanced economies.

Around 50% of us make a New Year’s Resolution to 'sort out the finances’ but for most of us it's more of a wish than a firm commitment to take action.

Looking at the January appointments we’ve had with wealth management clients here are the topics that we’ve discussed most often. If you’re determined to sort out your finances, these may give you some food for thought.

The courts recently found that a bank had failed in its duty to investigate an assertion by a debtor that a restricted-use credit agreement had been rescinded before reporting to credit reference agencies that the debtor was in default.

We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA number 493083) under the Solicitors' Code of Conduct. You can access the Code by contacting the SRA, In writing to: The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN. Fax: 0121 616199. Tel: 0870 6062555 (UK) +44 0121 3296800 (International) or via www.sra.org.uk.

The directors of Banner Jones Ltd are Solicitors of England and Wales.